His assistant—and Jane was pretty sure the assistant and the dean might be involved because the woman’s bright red lipstick matched the smudge on the dean’s fancy white dress collar—immediately grabbed for the phone on his desk. Probably calling security.
“This is my partner,” Jane murmured. “And you’re going to provide him with a list of the students from out of state, students who were in classes with Travis Maller and Alan Thatcher.”
The dean gaped at her.
The assistant’s gaze flew around the room.
Jane tapped her chin. “You know what? Give me a list of the out-of-state students who were in Alan’s dorm, too.”
“No,” the dean snapped. “Absolutely not. I told you, I need a warrant. Now it’s time for you and your partner to leave, immediately.”
Jane sighed. I am breaking my own rules. What did that say about her? Was her moral compass bent or totally broken? Her stare slid to Aidan, and she knew he’d get her message. “Told you,” Jane murmured. “I have something better than a warrant.” I have my own personal alpha werewolf.
Aidan stalked toward the dean’s desk. She could practically feel the power swirling in the room. Aidan looked first at the young assistant. “Hang up the phone.”
She did.
Then Aidan focused on the dean. “About that list…”
***
“Thank you, Aidan,” Jane said quickly as they hurried out of the dean’s office. “I wasn’t exactly running high on charm today, and you totally saved my ass.”
There were a lot of names on the list. More names than she’d hoped to see. And Jane knew the list might not even lead to the killer. After all, Travis and Alan could have met the guy at a campus party—or an off campus party. The guy might not even be a student, but at least it was a starting point for her.
It was something.
She began skimming over the list.
“Glad I could be of use,” Aidan said, his voice oddly careful. “Jane, there’s something I need to tell you.”
But her gaze had just zeroed in on one name. A name that was familiar to her. “Quint Laurel,” Jane whispered. “Sonofabitch.”
“Jane?”
She looked up. “The day after Alan Thatcher died, I went to his dorm room. Quint Laurel was there. He strode inside and acted all torn up when I had to break the news to him that Alan Thatcher was dead.”
“Maybe he was torn up.”
“And maybe he was playing me. Maybe he was the killer and he wanted to find out just what I knew.” She hurried toward the stairwell door.
But Aidan did that too-fast thing of his and stepped into her path. “Slow down.”
“I can’t! Time is running out.” The sun was already sliding low in the sky. “I’m afraid he’s going to kill again tonight, Aidan. That there will be another body found savaged in a cemetery.”
“Then we put guards at the cemeteries,” he said with a nod. “I’ll send my men—”
“Up against another alpha?”
His jaw hardened.
“He’d be able to take down your men, just as easily as you would. And there’s no way I can put human cops out there against him.” That would be a serious blood bath. “No, we need to find him. You and I. We can catch him unaware. Stop the bastard.”
“It might not even be this Quint Laurel—”
“No, but you talk to him for two seconds, and we’ll know if it is or not.” She stepped around him and shoved open the door that led to the stairwell. She rushed down the stairs, her thudding footsteps echoing around her. Aidan was close behind.
“Your brother is here.”
She grabbed onto the railing so she wouldn’t fall. Jane whipped her head back to face Aidan. “What?”
“When you were hurt, you called out for him. I…I wanted to help you, so I got my wolves to find him. Werewolves are good at tracking.”
Her cheeks felt numb. “I didn’t need to track him. I knew where he was all along. Safely away from me.”
“Jane, he wants to help you.”
Tears burned her eyes. “Aidan, what have you done?”
“He’s outside. He’s here to help,” Aidan said again. His voice was halting, more hesitant than she’d ever heard him before. “Jane, I want you happy. I did this…so you’d be happy.”
She swiped at the tears on her cheeks. Dammit, she cried way too much lately. That shit had to stop. “You ever think there’s a reason I haven’t seen him in so long? Aidan, jeez, look at me! I’m a magnet for monsters!”
He flinched.
“That’s not what I meant. You’re not what I meant.”
“You sure about that?”
She swallowed. “Vampires. Werewolves. That’s my life now. It isn’t his. He’s normal. You saw that, right?” Now her voice was hopeful. Because…
I don’t know. Maybe he is like me. Maybe I’m about to ruin my brother’s life, too.
“He’s normal,” Aidan said softly.
Her shoulders fell. Aidan’s words were both a relief and a condemnation. I was the different one. It was because of me that Drew lost his whole family. I brought the vampires. They wanted me.
Because I’m the end.
“He loves you.”
She started hurrying down the stairs again. “I want him safe.”